Home Truths
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: Stranded millions of years from home, Danny Quinn reflects on his life, until he is rescued by a mysterious man from the future and he is forced to make a decision. *minor spoilers for series 4*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: I thought the story of Danny and his brother's disappearance was not explored enough in fics ... so here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoy! Comments feed the muse and keep him happy...**

* * *

Danny never thought he'd see the day when he would find something like the lunar cycle interesting. As night fell on yet another day stranded millions of years from home, he noted that the moon was almost full again. The first night he'd spent here had been a full moon, so he supposed this meant that he had now been here for one month – a lunar one if not an actual one.

Getting back home seemed impossible now since he'd realised that the anomaly that had brought him here was unlikely to recur as it had been created by Helen Cutter. His one glimmer of hope had been dashed when he searched her dead body and found she wasn't carrying the opening device. He had no way of getting back and his only comfort was the thought that perhaps Abby and Connor would have found Helen's lost device and used it to get themselves home. Some days, he clung on to the thought that they wouldn't abandon him and pictured Connor trying to work out how to open the right anomaly. It was a long shot though and the thought never lasted for long. On his worst nights, he even thought that Abby and Connor were dead. He had nightmares; seeing Abby trying to protect Connor's unconscious form as she was ripped to shreds by the group of Raptors that had sent them scurrying up the tree. Mostly though, he guessed that they were like him; surviving and fighting somewhere in time.

Not for the first time since he'd been here, he contemplated just ending it all. He had devised a whole string of ideas of how to end his life before a predator ended it for him, but when push came to shove he couldn't bring himself to do it. "You're a coward, Quinn!" he spat. Then he laughed at himself. He was anything but a coward; he'd been shot at and stabbed more times than he cared to think about during his time on the Police force, and he'd received a number of commendations from his superiors for acts of bravery that to him were simply part of the job. He always felt like a fraud though. He had only joined the force for one reason; an event that happened 14 years ago that destroyed his family.

Patrick and Danny got on fairly well; mostly because there was a number of years between them. Patrick had been an annoyance at times; especially when Danny brought his girlfriends home. He'd tried bribery to make Patrick disappear, which worked for a while, then he had to resort to just beating him to a pulp. The day Patrick permanently disappeared, Danny blamed himself for wishing too hard that his annoying brother would just leave him alone.

At the time, Danny had been working in the local sports store, but grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of action from the local police. He decided that the only way there would ever be justice for Patrick would be for him to become the law. He enrolled the following week and worked hard to earn his position as a detective constable rather than being a uniformed officer. As he tried to do something positive, his parents fell apart. They hated the media attention, and the inevitable finger pointing – there were those who believed that one of them had killed the boys and hid the bodies away. A year later, they couldn't cope any more and divorced. His mother died a few months later; it had all been too much for her, and his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly after. Within the space of two years, Danny had lost everyone he had ever cared about.

The Police force became Danny's life and his family, but there was always something missing. He'd tried to fill the gap in his life by throwing himself 110% into everything – whether it was a new case, a poker game, training for a marathon or an attempt to woo a pretty blonde – but he was never able to rest, and knew he couldn't until there was some kind of justice for Patrick.

As time moved on, Danny began to question things. The case of his brother's murder had been closed and left unsolved, and that angered him. He started to look for any clue that would get the case reopened, and spent hours watching the house where the boys had last been seen. It was on one of his stake outs that he came across Jenny, Connor and Abby and everything changed. Maybe Patrick hadn't been murdered by a someone, but a something … or maybe he was still alive and just trapped on the wrong side of an anomaly – like Danny himself was now. It gave him new hope, a new purpose. His decision to leave the police force had been surprisingly easy; he just knew that this strange group of people could help him find answers.

As he began to settle in for the night, Danny took one final look around to make sure there were no predators on the horizon. All looked peaceful; pretty much as it did most nights, so he slid inside the small crevasse in the rock that had been his night shelter for the last 20 nights and closed his eyes.

He was woken some time later by a noise. He could have sworn he heard someone calling his name; but that was impossible right? He sat as still as he could; listening. There was absolute silence, not even a breeze that could be echoing around the gaps in the rock and sound like a voice. Deciding it was all in his mind, he closed his eyes again.

"Danny! Danny Quinn!" The voice was clearer this time; closer. He sat up and leaned outside, looking around.

"Who's there?" he called. It seemed crazy. He was the only human being in existence; at least in the modern sense.

"Up here!" The voice said.

Danny crawled out of his hole and stood up. Instinctively, he reached for his handgun, even though he had used up the last of his bullets scaring away a creature that was stalking him some time ago. It made him feel braver though, and he gripped tightly to it.

"Show yourself!" Danny called out. There was movement above him, and Danny strained to see in the strange light being cast by the moon. He could just about make out the figure of a man, dressed entirely in black. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. I'm here to help you. There's an anomaly about 20 minutes walk from here. If you want to get home, I suggest you follow me. We can only keep it open another hour at the most before the cloaking on it runs out and the detector picks it up." The man moved out of the shadow and Danny could see him more clearly. He was fairly young, late teens or early twenties at the most, but his face seemed to have the scars of someone many years older.

"Why should I trust you?" Danny said. The only time he'd heard of an anomaly having a cloaking mechanism on it was the one that had been in Christine Johnson's place.

"Because you have no other choice; unless you want to stay here for the rest of your life of course." The man turned and began to walk away.

Danny quickly weighed up his options. The man had to have come from somewhere. He didn't look like someone who had been trapped here – from what Danny could see he was clean shaven and had a very short hairstyle; almost like standard Army requirements. Maybe he was a soldier? He began to follow; several paces behind to be on the safe side. This man could be luring him into some kind of trap for all he knew.

As they reached the top of the hill, Danny glanced down into the valley below and saw a familiar glow – an anomaly. He almost cheered and called out to the mysterious man. "Will that take me home?"

"Not exactly. It'll take you to my time which is about 20 years in your future. Once we're there though, there's a couple of people who can help you get back to the right year. They can't wait to see you again!" The young man began to speed up, and Danny had to almost run to keep up. His head was spinning – he was finally leaving this hell and would be back amongst humans within minutes – and familiar ones too by the sounds of it!

Standing in the glow of the anomaly, Danny could finally see the young man properly. There was something familiar about him; like Danny knew him – but he said he was from 20 years in the future, and given he barely looked older than that he probably wasn't even born in Danny's own time. "You go first. They're waiting for you." The young man smiled, and Danny realised why he seemed familiar. That smile was unmistakeable, and he knew exactly who he would see on the other side. He stepped through; all worries about this being a trap gone.

-o-

"Danny!" A voice was saying before he'd even gone through completely. He found himself in a laboratory filled with computer equipment, electronics and people who were obviously Scientists. He was pounced on immediately; arms wrapping around him and almost crushing him. "I can't believe its you after all this time!"

"Abby, it's good to see you too... but can I breathe?" Danny said, untangling himself from his old friend's embrace. The two stared at each other, studying their faces. Danny grinned. It was Abby in front of him, older, hair fastened back in a pony tail and her face etched with lines, but there was still an obvious determination about her. "Time has been kind to you." he laughed.

"I wish that were true, Danny. You have no idea... but I'll explain as much as I can as we go along. It's weird – for you it's only been a month since you went after Helen, but for us its getting on for 21 years now." Abby said. She turned to the young man. "Well done, Lucas."

"Didn't I tell you I would find him, mum!" Lucas said. "You need to start realising I'm a part of this team and I'm more than capable of doing my bit."

"Chip off the old block, ain't he?" Danny said. "He's got your spirit, Abby." He's also the spitting image of his father, Danny mused, wondering where Connor was. He was pleased that Abby and Connor had finally sorted themselves out and got together.

There was a moment of sadness in Abby's eyes before she swallowed and took a deep breath. "We can catch up properly later, Danny. There's a lot to tell you but I need to think about how much you should know before going back to 2010. For now, there's someone else who wants to see you too."

Danny looked questioningly at Abby. He was guessing it would be Connor or Becker... maybe Sarah? Abby's eyes shifted to the side of the room and Danny followed them. The door opened, and a man walked in. Danny did a double take; it was like seeing his father again – but he knew it couldn't be his father; there was only one person this could be. "Patrick?"

"Hi Danny. Long time no see!"

There was a brief silence; a moment of disbelief. Patrick was the younger of the brothers, but because this was 20 years in the future and Danny was out of time and hadn't aged, he was now the younger one. They hugged for several minutes and they both allowed tears to fall – the years of searching and not knowing finally over.

"How did you... where? …" Danny stammered. He couldn't quite believe that the brother he believed to be dead was standing in front of him.

"Its a long story, Danny. Wouldn't know where to start! Let's get you some food first though yeah? And I expect you need a good shower and some clean clothes? We're about the same size, I'll find you something." Patrick said. "Come on." He beckoned for Danny to follow him. Danny glanced behind him and saw Abby whispering something to Lucas. When she realised Danny was looking, she forced a smile.

"I'll see you later, Danny." Abby said. "You should spend some time with your brother."

Danny nodded. He felt uneasy about this whole situation, but there was nothing else he could do at the moment – and a decent meal and clean clothes did sound good.

-o-

A couple of hours later, Danny was sat in Patrick's flat. It was large – too large for a single person, Danny thought - and there was a slightly feminine touch to the furnishings. Danny supposed Patrick lived with someone, perhaps he was married with a family of his own? Danny could be an Uncle! There was so much to take in and his head felt dizzy. He felt a little more relaxed now that he was clean and had had a shave; more like himself. He hadn't been able to manage more than a bowl of soup, but his stomach felt full for the first time in weeks. Danny had so many questions, beginning with where Patrick had been and how he got home.

"We thought you were dead." Danny said eventually. "We went through hell – they even accused mum and dad of murdering you!"

"I know, they filled me in on the aftermath of my disappearance." Patrick sighed. "Believe me Danny, I tried everything to get back. I spent years going through anomalies and hoping one would eventually get me home."

"Did the ARC team find you?"

"I found them – There's a whole bunch of people lost in the anomalies, some trying to find home, some trying to find loved ones, others just wanting answers. I kept hearing about the ARC, and how they were trying to understand how the anomalies could be controlled. When I eventually found myself home with no sign of you or mum and dad, I found the ARC. I've been a part of the team for the last 17 years; hoping we'd find a way of getting to you and sending you back to where you belong." Patrick leaned back on the sofa.

Danny yawned. He suddenly felt very tired. Patrick showed him to the spare bedroom and left him to settle in. Alone, Danny lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. It was a relief to be in the safety of four brick walls, but he felt strange. His brother was back from the dead, but considerably older and Danny barely knew him. And then there was what Abby said – she was trying to work out how much to tell him before he went back? Something was wrong. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, it hit him. Connor. No-one had actually mentioned him as such. The last time he'd seen Connor, he was unconscious and injured after falling from the tree in the Cretaceous – what if he hadn't made it? He shook his head, that wasn't it. It was obvious he was Lucas's father so unless Abby was already pregnant back in his own time; Connor must have survived. Tiredness finally overwhelmed him,and he fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: Thanks to those who have already taken the time to leave a comment; it is really appreciated. I'm sorry, but yes ... I am being really mean to Connor in this.**

**So, what would you do if you had knowledge of what is going to happen to someone you consider a friend? Danny is about to face a huge dilemma...**

* * *

It was shortly after midnight when Abby silently slid into the flat. It was in darkness; a fact she was relieved about; hoping to avoid the inevitable conversation. She hung her jacket on the peg by the door, stepped out of her shoes and crept across the lounge towards the bedroom door.

"Where have you been?" Patrick's voice said in the darkness. The lamp by the sofa was switched on, revealing Patrick stretched out on the sofa. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"I thought you and Danny needed some time alone." Abby said. "I took Lucas out for dinner, then we went to Jack's. Lucas is going to stay over there for a couple of days, and maybe I should too."

"No, Abby. I'm not going to keep any secrets from Danny." Patrick said.

"The less he knows, the easier it will be for him when he goes back." Abby said. "I thought that's what we agreed."

"But he's going to ask questions. He'll want to know all about me; whether I'm married or in a relationship... I'm not going to lie." Abby sat next to Patrick, leaning against his shoulder. "Then he'll want to know what happened to Connor."

"Let me handle that, Pat. It's going to be hard getting his head around the fact that there's 20 years he's missed out on. To him, he last saw Connor and I a month ago and we weren't even a couple then. He's no fool, he'll have worked out who Lucas's father is just by looking at him, and he'll want to know the whole story." Abby closed her eyes and allowed Patrick to slide his arm around her shoulders. "Anyway, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. How are you feeling about all this?" she squeezed his hand.

"It's weird. I was 14 years old when I last saw my brother – that was over 34 years ago. He's a stranger to me, it's difficult to know what to say, or how I'm supposed to feel. You know him better than I do, Abby."

Abby pulled Patrick into a soft kiss. "It'll be OK." she whispered. "We should try to get some sleep though. Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I still don't know how much Danny should know."

Patrick stood up and held out his hand for Abby. She took it, and allowed him to lead her to the bedroom they shared.

-o-

Danny slept until mid morning, when he was woken by the sound of voices. He lay still for a while, wondering who Patrick was talking to. It was definitely a female voice. After a few minutes, Danny's curiosity got the better of him and he dressed and ventured out of the room he'd slept in.

"Good morning!" Patrick said as Danny emerged. "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby!" Danny smiled. It had been good to have a soft bed after a month of sleeping on the hard floor of a cave. He glanced around to see who else was in the flat, expecting to be introduced to Patrick's wife or girlfriend – to his surprise it was Abby sat at the large dining table drinking coffee. Abby blushed slightly as Danny caught her eye. "Morning, Abby." he said with a nod. The look on his face said it all as the reality registered with him. She hadn't just stopped by for a morning coffee on her way to work; this was her home and the feminine touches Danny had noticed last night were hers.

"Morning, Danny. I guess I should explain." Abby sighed. She glanced at Patrick and he nodded. This should come from her. "Patrick and I have been together for a few years now, and Lucas and I moved in about three years ago. It made sense; I was struggling to bring up a teenage boy on my own and Patrick has been like a father to him since we lost Connor."

Danny felt his stomach lurch. So Connor was dead. "Abby, I'm sorry. How did he..."

"That's one of the things I don't know if I can tell you." she said. "The less you know about what happened, the better. You'd only go back to your own time and try to change things – Connor always said interfering with our own past could be dangerous."

"But won't my going back change things anyway? You've lived the last 20 years without me, but if I go back to 2010, then I'll be around." Danny said.

"Yes, and that's another thing we need to talk about. Do we send you back to the time you actually belong in as Connor always maintained we should, or do we let you stay here?" Patrick said, handing Danny a mug of coffee.

"I should get going. The ARC won't run itself, and I dread to think what Lucas will get up to without supervision!" Abby said. She stood up and picked up her jacket. "I'll see you later, Danny." She kissed Patrick on the cheek and left.

"How's she doing?" Danny said. "Can't be easy having me suddenly appear and drag up memories of the past."

Patrick sighed "She had a nightmare last night, first one in a long time. Her experiences over the years would send stronger men straight into a mental institution, but she's a fighter. Sometimes I forget just how bad things have been for her; she usually hides it so well."

Danny wondered if he should go after her, but he suspected that she was still the stubborn, independent girl he had known not so long ago and thought it best to leave her for a while. She'd be OK in her own time. "I just want to understand what's been going on in the 20 years since I disappeared. Surely I have a right to know what happened to the people I used to work with?" Danny said.

"Actually, its one of the few things I disagree with Abby about. You do have a right to know."

"Then tell me!" Danny said.

"I can't. There's just Abby and I left now, and I promised her that we would be united in all decisions. But if you were to stumble upon the information accidentally..." Patrick smiled.

"Accidentally?"

"Yeah, when we go back to the ARC, I'll get Lucas to leave his password out or something. What you do with that when we leave you alone for a while is up to you." He stood up and picked up a folder that Abby had left on the table. "Come on." Danny drank down the last of his coffee and followed Patrick. At last he was going to get some answers.

-o-

At the ARC, Danny was left pretty much to his own devices as everyone went about their work. As promised, Lucas has scribbled his password onto a post-it note and left it by his computer when he went to make a drink. Danny found a small side office that no-one else seemed to be using and closed the door. He wasn't one for technology at the best of times, and this computer seemed far advanced of anything he'd seen before. However, once logged in, and Lucas's password entered, it took him only a few minutes to find the archives he needed.

He scrolled down an incredibly long list of files, going right back to the time the ARC first started. Danny was only interested in those from the time of his disappearance along with Connor and Abby. It had come as no surprise to him that Lester had lost the backing of the government. He read Becker's report on the rescue mission during which Sarah Page died and had to fight back tears. Sarah had died trying to save him? It was almost too much, and he could understand why Abby was reluctant for him to know the truth. Maybe, if they let him go back to the right time and place, he could prevent Sarah's death... and that was exactly what Connor would be so against – changing major events like that. He recalled one of the first conversations he had had with Connor when he started at the ARC; how Cutter believed that even the most subtle interference could alter the course of history and erase people completely. Most had seemed sceptical, but Connor had believed it.

Pulling himself together, he read on – pulling up reports on the new personnel that were introduced, the private funding... and then finding that Abby and Connor made it home one year after they first disappeared. A whole year? Danny couldn't get his head around that fact. He'd found one month difficult enough; Abby and Connor must have been through hell and back during that time. It couldn't have been that hard though, he noted with a smile – a footnote had been added by Lester. "Personal relationships between staff within the ARC are usually forbidden; however given the unusual circumstances surrounding Abby and Connor, we have no choice other than to accept that they are romantically linked, and both have given me their reassurances that it won't affect their work."

After that, the ARC files took on different styles. There were the field reports; mostly written by Becker but occasionally someone called Matt Anderson had filed a report, and Abby had written up some too. Then there were the research documents – predominantly Connor's work with input from one or two others. Danny could tell that there had been a split in the team for a while – and then suddenly it changed again. Patrick's name appeared. There were interviews, medical tests, DNA results – all trying to verify he was who he claimed to be. Danny had known from the second he saw Patrick that it was genuinely him, but the others wouldn't have known and he was glad they'd taken his claims seriously.

It seemed they accepted Patrick as a member of the team pretty quickly once his identity had been verified, and his address was initially listed as the same as Abby and Connor's – they'd taken him into their home for a while. By this time, Abby's name had changed to Temple and her file suggested that she was on maternity leave when Patrick appeared.

Danny leaned back on his chair. So far; apart from Sarah's death; there wasn't anything that had surprised him a great deal. He was struggling to understand why Abby was so stuck on him not knowing, so he scrolled forward through the files to more recent entries. He had to find out how Connor had died.

The report had been written by Lester – it was one of only a dozen or so that he'd archived. It seemed that in March 2024, the ARC team – Becker, Matt, Connor, Patrick and Abby – had all gone through an anomaly. It was the first one Connor had managed to create himself successfully outside of the laboratory where he shut himself every day – a culmination of 14 years of research. Becker and Matt had gone through first, followed by Connor, with Abby and Patrick at the back. They had found themselves in some version of the future, and it quickly became apparent that something was wrong. Becker ordered them all back, so Abby and Patrick obeyed and went through – but Connor, Matt and Becker didn't follow. Patrick went back again, then ran out screaming for Abby to get the oxygen from the vehicles. When she returned, Matt, Becker and Connor were laid out unconscious by the anomaly and struggling for air. Becker died moments later, despite Patrick's desperate attempts to get his heart going again. Matt and Connor were rushed to hospital and straight into intensive care. Matt died later that day, and Connor a few hours after him – the post mortems showed that their lungs had rapidly disintegrated after breathing in some kind of toxic gas on the other side of the anomaly.

Before Danny had had time to digest everything he'd just read, the door of the office was flung open. "Patrick told me I'd find you in here. How much do you know?" Abby demanded, tears streaming down her face.

"Enough. Abby... I don't understand why you didn't want me to know any of this?"

"Because if you go back now and you meet Connor again – how will you be able to look him in the eye, knowing what happens to him? Knowing it was his research and his anomaly that caused the deaths of three people including himself?" Abby said. "It would kill him, and he'd give up before he'd even started. If Connor's research doesn't happen, then so many other lives would be lost."

Danny knew Abby was right. It _would_ devastate Connor. "So what happened after they died?"

Abby closed the door of the office and sat down. There was little point keeping anything else from him as he already knew the worst of it. "The ARC was closed down, apart from a small military team who manage anomalies as they occur. They have the detector that Connor built, they go out, deal with any creature incursion and then lock the anomaly until it closes of its own accord. There's no more research and definitely no more humans going through them."

"So what's this place?" Danny said, puzzled.

"I disappeared for a while after Connor died." Abby began. She felt tears prickling in her eyes and tried to fight them but failed. She hadn't spoken about Connor for a long time and this was harder than she thought it would be. "Lucas and I went to live with my brother. I didn't want anything else to do with anomalies ever again – I had lost the one man I truly loved because of them and lost people I cared about. Then Patrick found me and got me interested again – he wanted to restart the ARC and continue Connor's work, but this time, we would concentrate on helping the people trapped by the anomalies, not the creatures. I'd been trapped for a year, Patrick for 16 years – we knew how it felt to feel so lost. Pat can be very persuasive."

"You use Connor's research to open anomalies and rescue people?" Danny said.

"In a nutshell, yes. We had to do something, otherwise Connor's death would have just been meaningless. Lucas is very much like Connor, he understands how it all works and can pretty much open an anomaly wherever and whenever we want it occur; give or take a couple of weeks. He came up with the cloaking device that allows us to open anomalies without the military picking them up – he's not even 20 yet."

"Clever kid!" Danny said. "Connor would be proud of him."

Abby nodded. "I almost wish Lucas was more like me though. I've tried to talk him out of getting so involved; I want him to finish his course at University and get a normal job... but he's set on being a part of the team and carrying on where his father left off."

"And you and Patrick? Does he make you happy?" Danny smiled.

Abby nodded. "Not many people get a second stab at happiness. I loved Connor and we had an amazing 14 years together – we had ups and downs like any other couple of course, but it was mostly good. Losing him was probably the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I didn't think I'd ever fall in love again, but it happened. Patrick's a good man, he reminds me of you sometimes."

Danny wrapped his arms around her. "I guess that makes us almost family then!" he said.

Abby blushed. "All this does put you in rather a difficult position though, and I need you to think very carefully about the next move."

Danny understood what she was saying. His motto had always been 'everything happens for a reason', and he could see that Connor's death had changed the way the ARC worked – that people like him and Patrick were being helped back to their own time. It had also brought his brother together with a woman he loved. If he prevented Connor's death by warning him, then he would possibly be denying people the help they needed – and stopping his brother from being happy. But Connor was his friend too, how could he _not _say something?

"I think I'd like to be alone for a while." Danny said.

"Of course." Abby said. She reached into her pocket and handed Danny her car keys and the keys to the flat. "Our home is your home for as long as you need it."

Danny made his way slowly back to Abby's car; his mind reeling.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: As I'm posting this, there are just 29 hours until the new series begins here in the UK! Woohoo! Thanks again to those taking the time to read and leave comments. I hope you enjoy this final installment!**

**Will Danny choose to save the life of a friend, or to save the anomaly project and his brother's happiness?**

* * *

Alone in the place that his brother and Abby called home, Danny tried to make sense of everything he'd learnt over the last few hours. After all his years of searching for answers as to what had happened to Patrick, he finally had them – but his brother was a stranger to him in many senses; coupled with the fact that in their current situation he was now the younger of the two. For that reason alone, he knew he should go back to his own time and hope that his presence wouldn't alter events too much. Then; what did he do with the knowledge he had about Connor's fate, and the others? He had to interfere as little as possible; let things run their natural course... but he couldn't just stand by and watch Connor lead the others to their deaths either, even if it did mean Connor and Abby stayed together and Patrick was alone.

Danny found some photo albums propped up on a shelf in the lounge. The first was obviously Abby's – and Connor's. It was full of photos of them as a couple; their wedding, a beach holiday, several of Abby at various stages of pregnancy and then the baby photos. They looked so happy together, very much in love. To Danny, it was only a month ago that he'd left these two alone in the past – a pair of youngsters who so obviously belonged together but were too afraid or stubborn to cross the line. Seeing their relationship grow and blossom in the photos warmed Danny to the heart. He knew what he would do when he got back – he had to warn Connor about checking the air on the other side of anomalies before anyone went through. Connor and Abby should be together, and their son needed both parents.

Then he picked up a second photo album. It was still Connor and Abby, with Lucas growing up. Patrick appeared in a number of them too and it was obvious that he was considered a part of their family group. "At least someone looked after him when I wasn't there." he thought. He came across a photo of Connor and Lucas fishing and it made him laugh – he really couldn't imagine Connor sitting still long enough for a start! Patrick had gone fishing with their father regularly as a boy, so Danny guessed he'd dragged Connor and Lucas along for some "father/son bonding".

Finally, Danny opened the newest album. Only a few pages were filled – these photos were obviously taken after Connor's death. Patrick and Abby looked good together; they suited each other. One photo was of Patrick in a dinner suit with a bow-tie, and Abby in a black, strapless evening gown. They were arm in arm, in a pose very similar to one of the wedding photos of Abby and Connor. Abby looked equally as happy in both photos, and Patrick relaxed and obviously in love. Danny closed his eyes. If Connor didn't die, then this moment wouldn't happen and Patrick would not be with Abby.

"What the hell do I do?" he said out loud, somehow hoping the answer would hit him. When it didn't, he placed the photo albums carefully back onto the shelf and looked around the flat. There was only one thing he could do. He had to leave things exactly as they were – things were meant to be this way, and 'Danny Quinn' should not even figure in anything that had happened in the last 20 years. Maybe he shouldn't be here at all?

Gathering together some of the clothes that Patrick had given him; he took one final look around the place and scribbled a note on the pad by the computer desk. He would make himself disappear again; begin a new life here in 2030 somewhere – he was certain he would be able to find work in security – a doorman at a nightclub or something. Anywhere away from people whose lives he should not interfere in.

-o-

It was several hours before anyone realised Danny had gone. Patrick didn't find the note until he and Abby had been home for a while. They'd just assumed Danny had gone for a walk alone to clear his head. Abby knew how he felt – a lot of painful memories had been dragged up today and all she wanted to do was be alone with her thoughts too. She'd shut herself in the bathroom with some candles and her favourite bubble bath; leaving Patrick with Lucas to discuss the anomaly that they would use to send Danny back.

They'd sort of agreed that it would cause the least disruption to what had already happened if Danny returned roughly around the same time that Connor and Abby had. It would pose no risk to Abby and Connor's relationship – and therefore Lucas would still be born; it would be too late to stop Sarah dying, and it would mean that various ARC personnel were in place – all essential characters that were needed to keep things as close as possible to the way they should be. Abby had been angry with Lucas and Patrick for allowing Danny access to the archives, but there was little she could do about it. It was down to Danny what he did now.

"Abby! He's gone!" Patrick yelled, banging on the bathroom door.

"Who?" Abby yelled back.

"Danny. He's decided to start a new life where he can't cause any problems."

Abby was out of the bathroom as quickly as she could, a towel wrapped around her and dripping water all over the hall floor. "This is what happens when you start messing about with time!" she said angrily. She pushed Patrick aside and stormed into the bedroom. Patrick followed.

"You were the one that said we should rescue him." Patrick said calmly. "Even though you knew it would cause issues."

"He's your brother, Pat! All the time I've known you, you've wanted to get him back. At every anomaly, I could see the disappointment in your eyes every time it was someone else and not Danny that came through. It was the same with Danny - I didn't know him that long, but he said right from the start that everything he'd done in his adult life was about finding out what happened to you. It was the only thing to do." Abby began to sob, and Patrick wrapped his arms around her. "I messed up, I'm sorry."

"No, you didn't mess up." Patrick said, stroking her wet hair. "If we'd stuck to the plan and not let him find out all those things... that's all my fault."

"We have to find him." Abby said."He doesn't belong here any more than he belonged in the Rift Valley – and whilst his life isn't in danger here, he shouldn't be alone when he's so confused."

"We will. Get dressed, then we'll go out in the car to look." Patrick said. "I just wish we knew where he'd go."

"He won't have got far." Lucas said, tentatively putting his head around the door. "He's on foot; he hasn't got any money and he doesn't know the area. If it was me, I'd be heading towards the town centre. There's a homeless shelter by the old church on Croft road."

"Its a start, Lucas; good thinking." Patrick said, grabbing his jacket. "Abby, meet us there as soon as you're ready." They were out of the door before Abby could even respond.

-o-

By the time Abby had made her way to the homeless shelter, Patrick and Lucas had already been inside and were waiting for her. "A man matching his description was here earlier, but they had to turn him away because they don't have the room." Patrick said. "If I'd seen that bloody note earlier..." he was angry.

"Shouting is not going help us find him." Abby said. "He can't have got very far, he'll be somewhere nearby. I just hope we find him soon; sleeping rough in this city is not something I'd wish on anyone."

"Relax mum!" Lucas said. "He's just spent the last month sleeping in a cave in the Pliocene era – this will seem like the Hilton in comparison."

"That isn't what I meant!" Abby snapped.

"I think we all need to calm down and think about this logically." Patrick said, taking a deep breath and sliding his hand into Abby's to squeeze it reassuringly. He turned his head, looking for inspiration. Across the road from the homeless shelter was the old church. It was boarded up, and had been for a number of years. "When we were kids, our parents and grandparents were very religious – Irish Catholic. We went to church every Sunday, and our Gran always used to say that if we were ever in trouble, the church would help. He'll be in there." Patrick began to head towards the church.

"Danny wouldn't set foot in a church." Abby said, pulling Patrick back. "He lost his faith after you disappeared and your parents died. That's the last place he'd go."

"Worth a look though, eh?"

The church yard was incredibly dark since the street lights no longer faced there. Abby clung to Patrick's hand, feeling a chill down her spine. She hated graveyards, and had been relieved that Connor had left instructions for his ashes to be scattered in the same garden as his mother's ashes back home in Blackburn and didn't have to visit one regularly.

"Doesn't look like anyone's been here for centuries." Lucas said. He pulled out his mobile phone and held it out so that the light acted like a torch. Moving ahead of Abby and Patrick, he searched along the walls of the church, looking for evidence that one of the boards had been moved or broken to allow someone to get inside. They had walked almost the whole way around and were about to give up when Lucas spotted a board swinging in the breeze. Instinctively, he pulled out his gun and beckoned for Patrick to follow him. Patrick also pulled out his gun and slid behind Lucas. Abby refused to carry a gun, unless it was loaded with tranquilliser, so she hung back and followed Patrick and Lucas through the opening and inside the church.

All three took out their phones and scanned around, trying to see if there was anyone inside. The air smelt of damp and mould and for a moment Abby panicked. This situation had suddenly reminded her of that dreadful day when she lost Connor. "Do you have an anomaly opening device with you?" she whispered to whoever was listening. Lucas held his up. "Switch it on, I want you to do an air test." Since Connor and the others had died, the opening devices had been fitted with a sensor to measure the amount of oxygen in the air, and to detect the presence of a potentially harmful gas.

"Mum! We haven't gone through an anomaly... its just old, damp air you can smell." Lucas sighed impatiently.

"Humour me!" Abby said. "Please." She couldn't bare the thought that she could lose Patrick and Lucas as well. She watched Lucas sweep the device through the air around him, then he passed it to her so she could see for herself that it read 'normal'. She relaxed a little, and felt a little embarrassed that she'd over reacted.

There was a noise from the far end, and both Patrick and Lucas raised their guns and cocked them so that they were ready. Abby held her breath as her eyes strained to see. There was a figure moving around, a man. "Danny?" Abby called out.

"How did you find me?" Danny's voice said.

"Seems you're not the stranger Patrick thought you were." She replied, glancing over at Patrick.

"What's going on, Danny? Abby and I told you that our home was yours as long as you needed it – and Lucas is almost ready to open the anomaly to send you back home anyway." Patrick said softly.

"That's just it. I can't go home; not when I know the things I do. Abby said it herself – how can I look Connor in the eye knowing that he ends up being responsible for the deaths of two of his colleagues as well as his own, and that he leaves her behind to bring up their son alone. I'd have to tell him – and then where would that leave the project that you two run now? All those lives you've saved... and your relationship... how can I deny my brother his obvious happiness after all the years of being alone?" Danny slumped down onto one of the pews, his head in his hands. Abby sat next to him and stroked his back.

"It's your call, Danny. If you don't feel you can go back, then we won't force you." Patrick said. "But you don't need to run away either. We can make this work."

"I don't belong here." Danny said. "You're supposed to be my younger brother... but look at you! You're what... almost 50 now?"

"Is that what this is about? That you can't lord it over me as the older brother?" Patrick began.

"Stop it!" Abby hissed angrily. "This is not about who's the older brother... its about being alive and together again." Patrick and Danny stared at each other until Danny lowered his head into his hands again. "Danny... Pat...this can work... but you both have to accept that its not quite how you'd imagined it to be." Abby said softly.

"Abby's right." Patrick said. "Come home with us, and we can talk. Please? I don't want to lose you again now that I've finally found you."

"Me either." Danny sighed. He stood up and hugged Patrick and then the pair of them headed out towards the hole they had come through, closely followed by a smiling Abby and Lucas. When they got back out onto the street, the four stood and looked at each other.

"You two go ahead. Lucas and I will make our own way home later." Abby said. She watched Danny and Patrick drive off, and for a moment found herself drifting off into her own mind.

"Do you think Danny will change his mind and go back to 2010?" Lucas said, interrupting her thoughts. Abby shook her head. "You could have talked him into it – maybe you could've had dad back."

Abby closed her eyes briefly, then looked at her son. "If Patrick wasn't around, then maybe that would be an option to try – but we've all moved on now." she stroked Lucas's hair. "I miss your dad too, you know, and its OK to wish he was still with us... but we can't change the past. We just have to make the best of the present and the people we are with here and now."

Lucas kissed Abby on the cheek. "Guess its my turn to buy pizza then?"

-o-

Danny and Patrick sat on the wall overlooking the beach. It had been three weeks since Lucas had rescued Danny from the Rift Valley, and Abby had decided they all needed to get away for a few days and spend some time getting to know each other. She had taken them to the place she had grown up in, and although many of her memories of this place weren't pleasant, it was also a place where she found peace. She was playing tennis with Lucas whilst Danny and Patrick watched.

"Do you remember when we went to the beach as kids?" Danny said. "Eating fish and chips and playing football with dad?"

"Yeah, and you spending half the time posing and trying to impress the girls!" Patrick laughed. "You'd give me 50p to disappear into the amusement arcades so that you could chat up some blonde."

Danny's smiled dropped. "I blamed myself when you disappeared you know." Patrick looked at him questioningly. "I spent half my time wishing you'd just go away... and then you did."

"It wasn't anyone's fault, Danny. It just happened. It tore us apart and we went through hell … but here we both are. We made it, we found each other and we can be brothers again." Patrick said. "And I reckon we'll get on better than we did 34 years ago."

"I don't know. You might be older than me now, but you're still bloody annoying!" Danny laughed, giving Patrick a playful punch in the ribs. They both turned their attention to Abby and Lucas on the beach for a moment. Danny took a deep breath. "I'm going to move out and get a place of my own when we get back."

"You don't have to, Danny. It's great having you around." Patrick said.

"I know, but you and Abby should have some time alone now. I won't be far away, and Abby wants me to be a part of your team so you're not getting rid of me completely. I'm starting fresh and intend to make the most of this second chance I've been given." Danny said.

Patrick smiled. "I'm glad you decided to stick around, Danny. Can't believe I got my brother back!"

"Me either... now - there was something else we used to do as kids and I bet I can still beat you!" Danny slid off the wall and started to run.

"Oi! Not fair!" Patrick yelled, running after him as the pair headed towards the sea; pausing briefly to remove their trainers and socks. Seconds later, they were play fighting; rolling around on the ground and getting soaked as the waves crashed onto the beach around them. For a moment, the Quinn brothers were young boys again, when the only worries they had in the world were next week's spelling test and whether they could sit still long enough in church to avoid getting cuffed around the ear by their grandfather.

Danny sat up and saw Lucas coming towards them. "I suppose we're going to have to give you a dunking too then Temple!" Patrick shouted, springing up and running over to Lucas.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Lucas yelled back, running in the opposite direction.

Hearing the name "Temple" made Danny think of those that had sacrificed their lives over the years and allowed him to reach this point in his life. Sarah, Becker, Matt – a man he'd never even met but had a respect for because of what he'd done – and Connor. Watching Lucas now, Danny could see the Connor that he had known – at the age of 19, Lucas was in that slightly awkward transition stage, where he had the body of a man but hadn't quite grown into it yet. Danny knew Lucas would go on to do great things and would do the name "Temple" proud.

Then Danny looked over at Abby. She was trying to look disapproving at their antics, but the sparkle in her eyes told him she was laughing inside. The terrible things that had happened to her should have made her bitter and angry, but she was still the same Abby – the girl whose fighting spirit he had admired from the start, and felt a connection to when her brother had stumbled through that future anomaly.

Finally, he turned to Patrick who had stopped to get his breath back. He was only just getting to know Patrick again, but was quickly realising that they were very much alike. It was all good so far, although Danny suspected they would probably clash occasionally – that's what brothers do isn't it?

"Danny! Come and help me teach this young whipper snapper a lesson!" Patrick called.

"Be there in a minute!" Danny shouted back. He smiled. The journey he had started all those years ago was finally at an end. It had started with a simple desire to get his brother back, but he had found so much more. Friendship and loyalty meant more to him than words could ever say; and he'd now also gained a sister and a nephew – of sorts. There was no way he'd suggest that Patrick married Abby... not yet anyway, but he did consider Abby and Lucas a part of his family.

Family. A word Danny never thought he'd be able to use again. He took a deep breath before running to join his family and enjoy just being a part of their lives.


End file.
